"The two Imperial regiments deployed yesterday were ground down by enemy fire as they pushed along the main arterial road. The enemy reinforced their defensive line with concrete and stacked barricades in layers to block the advance of our tanks."
Her fingers tapped various points on the map.
"But on these blueprints our agents risked their lives to smuggle out, the underground structures and the blind spots of the factory district are marked. There are also points where the defensive line hasn't been fully established yet."
I pretended to scan the map while cross-referencing it with the [Minimap] in the corner of my vision.
I cross-verified the locations Sydney had indicated against the distribution of red dots on the [Minimap].
'Accurate.'
No matter how much of a broken cheat key the [Minimap] was, it had its limits. Even if it showed enemy positions and terrain in 3D, trying to grasp the entirety of that vast city would take more than a whole day of sweeping through it.
But if someone pointed out the likely spots first like this, the story changed. I only needed to input the coordinates and filter out where the enemies were hiding.
"Excellent."
The corners of my mouth rose slightly.
"…I'm glad it was helpful."
Just that much caused Sydney's expression to relax slightly.
'Status Analysis.'
[Name: Sydney Wellesley]
[Status: Accumulated fatigue, obsession with success, faint sense of accomplishment]
[Emotions: I'm relieved my map is useful. I have to prove that our United Kingdom isn't incompetent, even before the Imperial Army.]
[Hidden Desire: To contribute to this operation somehow and make up for the failure of losing her homeland.]
Her inner thoughts were read transparently. I laughed inwardly.
'Kicked out to an exile government, and all that's left is spite.'
She was still held captive by a sense of responsibility and inferiority.
That the country had fallen wasn't solely Sydney's responsibility. Of course, it was true that she had held an important position, but stopping the enemy's vile and meticulous schemes alone had been impossible.
Chewing over failure like that would only increase her stress.
'…That's how perfectionists are.'
A tendency to blame even unavoidable situations on oneself. Of course, thanks to that, she was in a perfect state for me to manipulate with words.
'Captivating Eloquence.'
[Skill 'Captivating Eloquence' (Lv.2) is now active.]
"But Director. I can't push my subordinates into the jaws of death based on a single sheet of paper."
I deliberately lowered my voice.
The relief on Sydney's expression changed to bewilderment in an instant.
It was just like during the last anti-aircraft network intel mission. The implication that information provided by the exile government couldn't be trusted.
"Th-this is… information my agents risked their lives to obtain. It is definitely not uncertain……"
"I know. The quality of the intelligence is excellent. But we cannot ignore the variables of urban warfare, can we? Hasty emplacements, collapsed passages, ambushes and traps. Blueprints differ from reality. A city embroiled in street warfare is different today than it was yesterday."
Sydney seemed to hesitate for a moment, then bit her lip and nodded.
"…Understood. Then for this infiltration operation, I will lead my agents and take point myself. Would that suffice?"
Hooked.
"I look forward to your performance."
And so, Sydney's intelligence bureau deployed alongside the Jäger Brigade.
*
The war meeting for the Weymouth assault proceeded swiftly.
"Frederica. The armored battalion will charge openly down the central arterial road. Pour every 88mm high-explosive shell you have onto the enemy bunkers and barricades."
"Openly? So I'm the bait. Understood. I'll draw every last bit of those Red bastards' attention."
Frederica's armored battalion was the unit in best condition and with the highest combat power in our brigade. But due to the nature of urban warfare, utilizing it at one hundred percent was simply impossible.
So rather than hold back, I assigned her a bold operation to draw as much enemy attention as possible.
"Seraphina, lead the infantry battalion and deploy to the flanking urban districts. Prioritize eliminating anti-tank weapons."
"Understood."
To Seraphina, who possessed overwhelming firepower, I assigned the task of escorting the armored battalion.
"Chief of Staff Helga. Maintain the communications network and personally control the follow-up forces. The medical unit as well."
I was leaving my deputy in Helga's hands. Of course, the conference room fell silent for a moment at my words.
Helga pointed out.
"Colonel. Leading the flanking strike team personally is highly dangerous."
"Don't worry. I'm moving with a small elite team composed of my direct subordinates and Director Wellesley's agents. It's a combination that worked in the Londinium sewers, so Weymouth should be easy."
"If that is the Colonel's will…."
Helga sent a worried gaze my way, but ultimately yielded and lightly bowed her head.
"Hanna, Gunter. Grab your gear. We're going in."
I immediately gathered my direct subordinates and moved out.
"Yes, sir!"
"Understood, Colonel!"
The underground sewers of Weymouth we entered like that brought back memories of the Londinium riots.
The damp smell of mold, wastewater rising to our ankles, and pitch-black darkness.
"This way. We have to pass through the sealed valve room on the right at the second intersection."
Sydney took point and lit the way ahead with a flashlight.
"Stop."
I suddenly raised my right fist.
"Why? According to the blueprints, the area ahead is safe……"
"Shh."
I grabbed her shoulder, cutting her off.
"Gunter. Grenade."
I gave further orders via hand signals.
Sydney watched my actions breathlessly. Her eyes were filled with clear skepticism.
Before long.
Shuffling. Shuffling.
Faint footsteps began to be heard from beyond the corner.
"Now."
Clink!
Gunter pulled the pin and tossed the grenade beyond the corner.
"Wh-what! Grena—!"
BOOM!
Hanna and I whipped out our submachine guns and leaped out.
Ratta-tat-tat!
"Clear. Advance."
"Good heavens……"
"I can't believe it even seeing it. Are those the movements of regular infantry?"
The whispers of the intelligence bureau agents echoed along the sewer walls.
They were agents who had already seen my skills in Londinium. But back then it had been a hastily assembled party, whereas now they were my own limbs, working in perfect sync since the Ashen Forest.
The level of efficiency was on a completely different scale.
"Colonel. Beyond the right drainage channel, fifty meters ahead. I detect five hostiles."
"Kurt. Set a bounding mine on the right wall. Pull the pin, and we keep running."
"Yes, sir!"
From here on, it was business as usual.
Click—
Three seconds later.
The moment we turned the corner.
KABOOM!
"GAAAAH!"
The ambushing enemies were blown away just like that.
'Status Analysis.'
[Name: Sydney Wellesley]
[Status: Slight emptiness, bewilderment]
[Emotions: How on earth can he do that…? It was the same in Londinium; it's utterly inexplicable.]
"Heading straight to the main valve room."
I led the unit forward without pause. The intelligence agents and Sydney naturally fell in behind me.
While we swept through the bottom of the sewers like this, above ground Frederica and Seraphina were drawing the enemy's attention.
Rumble— BOOM!
The sewer ceiling shook.
The enemies, distracted by the surface, failed to notice us approaching through the sewers at all.
"Colonel. Up ahead."
"The hatch directly connected to the Weymouth City Hall underground boiler room. It's the core strongpoint of the enemy defense line."
At the spot Sydney pointed to with her finger, a rusted iron hatch was visible.
Looking up at the [Minimap], the first floor above was black with clustered red dots. It lay behind the enemy's urban warfare command post and anti-tank gun positions.
"Everyone, breach. Open it."
Screech— BANG!
The moment the hatch opened, Hanna threw three grenades in as point.
"What! From the sewers, ugh!"
BOOM! BOOM-BOOM!
The continuous explosions turned the first-floor lobby into a bloody mess.
Sydney and I leaped up through that explosion simultaneously.
And then.
"C-crazy! Director! Brigade Commander! What are you bastards doing! Provide cover fire quickly—!"
Ratta-tat-tat! Bang!
The subordinates, witnessing the insane sight of the two commanders charging side by side, followed them like madmen.
"Wooooah!"
"Kill them! Kill them all!"
Rifle fire rained in all directions.
The enemy command bunker fell in an instant.
*
"Clear. Command post secured."
Ratta-tat! Gunter shouted as he put a final confirmation round into the chest of the last enemy still struggling.
Thick gunpowder smoke and the stench of blood filled the city hall basement. The floor was littered with corpses wearing the red armbands of the People's Union Republic.
I changed the submachine gun's magazine and picked up the radio.
"Frederica. Do you copy?"
["Frederica here. Enemy anti-tank fire is fierce. They've entrenched bunkers firmly in the plaza in front of the city hall."]
"We just took that bunker command post. They're blind men with their eyes wide open."
["……What?"]
That stupid echo was brief.
["……! Armored battalion, copy that? Their command structure is paralyzed. All vehicles forward! Load 88mm HE, blow those barricades away!"]
Vroom!
Even before my transmission ended, a heavy engine roar rang out from the plaza.
Boom! KABOOM!
The ceiling of the city hall basement cracked and split, concrete dust pouring down. It was the sound of Frederica's armored battalion crushing through the enemy defense line.
"Seraphina. Push the infantry in from both flanks."
["Understood, Colonel."]
SCREECH—! BOOM-BOOM!
Cyan-white flashes blazed above ground, followed by terrifying explosions. The magic shells Seraphina fired tore the enemy strongpoints apart like a bombing run.
"Moving up."
We kicked off the basement stairs and burst into the first-floor lobby.
The area outside the city hall's main entrance was already a scene of carnage.
The enemy command bunker had been smashed by the surprise attack. From the front, monster tanks were crushing their way in, and from both flanks, troops with firepower indistinguishable from tanks were encircling them.
"Gwaaagh!"
"P-please! Spare us! We'll surrender if you just spare our lives!"
It was no wonder the enemy couldn't hold out any longer.
Frederica's tanks had smashed through the concrete barricades, and alongside them, Seraphina's battalion infantry flooded in like a tide.
The Weymouth outer defense line, which other regiments had bled all day long without breaking through.
That impregnable iron fortress was collapsing in mere hours at the hands of our brigade, which had run straight here without even catching its breath after landing.
'See? Easy.'